This disclosure relates to a takeoff power management system and method for a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section. In general, during operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases flow through the turbine section, which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and other gas turbine engine loads.
In order to initiate takeoff of an aircraft, gas turbine engines are powered to full power, which is sometimes referred to as takeoff power. In one known takeoff procedure, known as a static takeoff procedure (which is a type of “unrestricted” takeoff procedure), the aircraft is held stationary at the end of a runway while the gas turbine engines are powered to full power. Once the gas turbine engines reach full power, the brakes of the aircraft are released and the aircraft is allowed to accelerate down the runway.
Another type of takeoff procedure is known as a rolling takeoff procedure. In a rolling takeoff procedure, the aircraft is allowed to accelerate down the runway while the gas turbine engines are run at an intermediate power. After accelerating at intermediate power for a period of time, the gas turbine engines are run at full power.
In some known systems, the pilot has the discretion to initiate a particular takeoff procedure. Various factors, such as runway length, may determine whether a static takeoff or a rolling takeoff is desirable. However, some gas turbine engines are rated for static takeoffs only during certain operating conditions. If an operating condition, such as ground wind speed, exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a static takeoff is not recommended. Information relating to ground wind speed is typically checked by the pilot prior to takeoff, and the pilot initiates a particular takeoff procedure based on the ground wind speed value and corresponding rating of the gas turbine engine.